Supper Club on Escape

[schwaja3]

My wife and I are booked on the Dec 9, 2023 Escape cruise, and am looking at dinners and shows to start planning our week. I've been reading about the Supper Club and wanted to get more info. When I go to my cruise app, I don't find much info at all. Just "Enjoy the ambiance in the Supper Club, our intimate theater experience featuring a variety of musical entertainment." 

 

I am looking for information about what type of food is offered, what is the entertainment, what is the cost, and anything else I can find.

 

So, has anyone sailed recently that can help fill me in?

 

Thanks!!

[graphicguy]

If it's anything like what they offered previously (before the shutdown), it's a mediocre meal served before the show.

 

Usually a 3 course meal....app (salad), pretein and desert.  Show was good.  Meal?  Not so much!

 

Concept of a dinner theater is a good one.  Didn't translate well because the tables are set up more for watching a show than it was for dining.

[Portia!]

I was last on the Escape in April (as well as earlier in the year and last year) and have attended many Supper Club performances. All of them are free of charge (no doubt that could change, but doesn't seem likely). Some shows are offered without dinner but with bar service. So a nice place for a show and a drink before (or after) dinner. The shows without dinner did not need reservations.

The shows that include dinner require reservations. They are not available to book until you are on board and generally sell out within a day. There is a standby line as well, and usually everyone in standby ends up seated, but not always, so good to have a backup plan. If you don't want the dinner, you can request to be seated for the show only - still good to have a reservation. Tables are shared - generally six to a table, with some larger booths near the back. If you do not do dinner, you will be seated at the very back, still a good view and the sound is terrific. 

The menu is a set menu, and has changed a bit. Most recently it is chicken parmesan, with veggies, a salad and bread rolls to start and carrot cake for desert. In the past (last year), they sometimes had a steak, everything else was the same as the chicken dinner. People didn't care for the steak, so my last few visits it was chicken parmesan for all shows. There is a veggie option, which was eggplant parmesan - with everything else the same. 

The shows are generally either an appearance from the guest entertainers for the week, usually performing something quite different (usually more casual) from the show they offer in the Theatre, or else special shows from some of the regular entertainers on the ship. For example, the Barricade Boys did Les Misérables and other opera music in the Theatre, and pop music in the Supper Club. An individual from the Choir of Man performed a one man show of Michael Bublé and Sinatra. One of the house bands you see in the Atrium or other venues may have a unique show (Beatles was one, ABBA was one). There are several different shows per week, with either one or two seatings for that day. I haven't seen repeats of individual shows on multiple days, but it could happen.

It's a great and unique experience. Give it a try. See you there on that Dec 9 cruise!

[Cyn874]

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

If it's anything like what they offered previously (before the shutdown), it's a mediocre meal served before the show.

 

 

 

Aww, you don't eat dinner during the show? I thought that was the whole point.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, Cyn874 said:

 

Aww, you don't eat dinner during the show? I thought that was the whole point.

They serve dinner before the show.  Makes sense.  They don’t want wait staff blocking your view of the show while trying to serve and bus tables.  I think the concept is good.  The venue just doesn’t lend itself to watching the show and being served a meal at the same time.  

 

I thought if they would provide a “sack lunch” as you enter the venue to eat once seated would be way better.  But, they don’t pay me the big bucks for my opinions.

[big al]

20 hours ago, Portia! said:

I was last on the Escape in April (as well as earlier in the year and last year) and have attended many Supper Club performances. All of them are free of charge (no doubt that could change, but doesn't seem likely). Some shows are offered without dinner but with bar service. So a nice place for a show and a drink before (or after) dinner. The shows without dinner did not need reservations.

The shows that include dinner require reservations. They are not available to book until you are on board and generally sell out within a day. There is a standby line as well, and usually everyone in standby ends up seated, but not always, so good to have a backup plan. If you don't want the dinner, you can request to be seated for the show only - still good to have a reservation. Tables are shared - generally six to a table, with some larger booths near the back. If you do not do dinner, you will be seated at the very back, still a good view and the sound is terrific. 

The menu is a set menu, and has changed a bit. Most recently it is chicken parmesan, with veggies, a salad and bread rolls to start and carrot cake for desert. In the past (last year), they sometimes had a steak, everything else was the same as the chicken dinner. People didn't care for the steak, so my last few visits it was chicken parmesan for all shows. There is a veggie option, which was eggplant parmesan - with everything else the same. 

The shows are generally either an appearance from the guest entertainers for the week, usually performing something quite different (usually more casual) from the show they offer in the Theatre, or else special shows from some of the regular entertainers on the ship. For example, the Barricade Boys did Les Misérables and other opera music in the Theatre, and pop music in the Supper Club. An individual from the Choir of Man performed a one man show of Michael Bublé and Sinatra. One of the house bands you see in the Atrium or other venues may have a unique show (Beatles was one, ABBA was one). There are several different shows per week, with either one or two seatings for that day. I haven't seen repeats of individual shows on multiple days, but it could happen.

It's a great and unique experience. Give it a try. See you there on that Dec 9 cruise!

Thanks so much Portia for this! DW & myself along with my SIL & hubby are going Dec. 9th ( along with schwaja3) and was wondering about the Supper Club...it seems there are usually 2 shows- one at 6:00 & one at 8:30 pm..is the early show dinner & later show no dinner, or can you dine at both shows? We probably will do the 8:30 show & dine somewhere else...I am interested in the ABBA & Beatles shows...thanks for any tips!

 

Big Al 

[schwaja3]

22 hours ago, Portia! said:

 

It's a great and unique experience. Give it a try. See you there on that Dec 9 cruise!

 

Thanks for the info. Hope to see you on the ship. Have you joined the Roll Call?

 

Can't wait to meet everyone. I am interested in the Beatles band like Big Al. Maybe we can all get a table?

 

Jack

[Portia!]

Hi. For the Supper Club shows with dinner, they generally have two shows. The same show both times on the same night. The first with dinner is at about 6 or 6.30 and the second show at 8 or 8.30. This show will generally not be repeated on a second night. There will be other shows with dinner, performed twice, on other nights. These shows require reservations, or take your chance in standby.

For Supper Club shows without dinner, there are sometimes two shows (repeated on the same night), but more often only one without dinner and generally do not need reservations.. 

Shows typically last 45 minutes to an hour. Salad is served and cleared before show starts. They try to serve all of the main course plates before the show starts so you can eat during the show. They clear and serve dessert as the show is ending. You can get drinks throughout.

There are different shows (some with, some without dinner) for about 4-5 nights on a seven day cruise. They do not always have the shows I mentioned, but I have found all worth seeing - depends on who is on the ship and the entertainment schedule for the week.

Check early, book often!

[big al]

Where do you make reservations? On deck 6 where Guest Services are, or somewhere else?

 

Big Al

[BirdTravels]

On 6/7/2023 at 10:11 AM, schwaja3 said:

My wife and I are booked on the Dec 9, 2023 Escape cruise, and am looking at dinners and shows to start planning our week. I've been reading about the Supper Club and wanted to get more info. When I go to my cruise app, I don't find much info at all. Just "Enjoy the ambiance in the Supper Club, our intimate theater experience featuring a variety of musical entertainment." 

 

I am looking for information about what type of food is offered, what is the entertainment, what is the cost, and anything else I can find.

 

So, has anyone sailed recently that can help fill me in?

 

Thanks!!

Here is an example from a few weeks ago. They have guest performers onboard and will do a few dinner shows a week. Guest performers have contracts from a week to 5ish weeks, so the shows on your cruise will be different. 
 

Make reservations as soon as you embark in the box office, Dec 7 forward, starboard theater entrance. 
 

Edited June 8, 2023 by BirdTravels

[ColonieCruiser]

where do you get the entertainment reminders?

[DuckTollerFans]

In 2019, we did a wine tasting dinner in the supper club and there was some cheesy musical to go along with it.  The wines were excellent and the food was some of the best we had!  The quality of the entertainers was superb, it was a little skit kind of thing they did to educate about wine tasting. 

 

One of my favorite on-board experiences and meals.

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, ColonieCruiser said:

where do you get the entertainment reminders?

They are available in the Box Office on embarkation day. Deck 7, Forward, Starboard theater entrance. 

[Portia!]

Hi. The 2019 Supper Club show referenced by DuckTollerFans is no longer performed. I agree it was a great and funny show, great food and terrific (and plentiful) wine. There was a charge. I haven't seen that show listed since the post-pandemic restart.

You can also book on the interactive screens on most decks in the lobby area near each elevator bank. You can also book on your TV. Shows sell out early, usually on the first day. The Box Office location will usually have availability before the interactive screens are updated with shows for the week.